Pedestrians are annoying

Pedestrians can be annoying, I know. I can’t standwhen a crosswalk is right there and yet, they cross the street wherever and whenever they feel like it. The unpredictability can be a little scary. Don’t even get me started on cyclists who do it, as well.

But — like I’ve said before, I love stopping for pedestrians. I don’t care if they still have a couple feet before they reach the crosswalk and people behind me are honking – I like when the people crossing smile/wave at me for stopping for them.

Taking the specific portion of Pearl St. the reader is asking about into consideration (by Jillian’s) — I’ve seen many drivers fail to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks. One rainy day in particular, the stoplight at N. Pearl and Pine had cars backed up. I was waiting behind a couple cars by Jillian’s, close to a crosswalk. The car that should have stopped at the crosswalk to let a mother and her two children cross the street, didn’t, and came to rest right on top of the crosswalk. So, the mom and kids had the choice to wait in the torrential downpour, or squeeze by two sets of bumpers, hoping the driver was paying attention this time, as they crossed.

I’ve thought about why people are so careless in that particular, small section of N. Pearl and I’ve considered the tight grouping of restaurant/bars, leading to more pedestrians — coupled with the busy traffic from people using that street as a shortcut for other Albany streets, like State, perhaps? I don’t know.

56 Responses

I don’t have a problem with people crossing where they shouldn’t. One thing I DO hate is when people walk in the street NEXT to the sidewalk that they should be on!! I just don’t get that. And if I have to swerve to get around you then I feel like maybe I should be allowed to “nudge” you a bit with my bumper!!

In all seriousness, though it’s a good reminder for all of us because pedestrians are not always very visible until they are right in front of you, particularly with cars parked on both sides of the street.

I will always stop for pedestrians but sometimes i get extremly annoyed when a pedestrian sees me coming, waits, waits, then decides when its clearly to late to just go ahead and walk out anyway. Theres a point where its just to late to attempt to walk across the street…right of way or not, there is such a thing as a rude pedestrian

Is it just in Schenectady, or do the gangs of kids walking down the middle of the road after school is dismissed, occur elsewhere? There are sidewalks available. The desire to run them down is extremely strong.

“I’ve thought about why people are so careless in that particular, small section of N. Pearl and I’ve considered the tight grouping of restaurant/bars, leading to more pedestrians — coupled with the busy traffic from people using that street as a shortcut for other Albany streets, like State, perhaps? I don’t know.”

I’ve been a pedestrian in Albany for over 10 years now and nothing has changed. It hasn’t gotten worse, it’s just that more people are taking notice. Why is it so bad in that area? Because more people walk in that area. That’s the bottom line. People who work in the Pearl St./State St. area have a huge number of options for lunch that do not require them to drive anywhere. Few other business districts have that same ratio of walkable services to office buildings.

Make no mistake, it is dangerous to be a pedestrian almost everywhere in the Capital District. The notable exception is Lark St. where people expect lots of pedestrians. And, frankly, Pearl St. has nothing on the dangers of trying to cross the streets in Washington Park, where people speed through the park, often in the wrong lane and pay absolutely no attention to crosswalks or the people in them.

It is exceptionally dangerous to be a pedestrian in this area, and with no enforcement and a whole lot of drivers complaining about the mere existence of pedestrians, I don’t see it getting any better in the next 10 years.

The crosswalk across Broadway in front of my office even has one of those “stop for pedestrians” signs in the middle of the road, and people still don’t stop. I especially love when the cops don’t stop…

I have the opposite opinion, I have seen a bunch of stupid pedestrians over the last five years at the intersection of N.Pearl to the street just before jillians which if You go down you are near the pedistrian bridge. I usually go home at midnight, and they just flock in front of you on a green light right in front of cars, open doors in front of you. stand in the road, People get aggrevated at these folks out to get drunk or whatever, usually college level age but the brains of a 4 year old, hard to stop a 3500 pound vehicle when they x in front of you…..have to be careful in that area because pedestrians are dumb

I think pedestrians would get more respect if they weren’t so rude to drivers. Wait until the road is clear. Don’t cross when traffic is coming just because you want the entertainment factor of someone slamming on their brakes two feet away from you. Don’t wait to cross the street until the light turns green; go when it’s still red and you have the right of way. Yes, walk ON the sidewalk, not next to it. Don’t walk down the middle of the road. Walk down the CORRECT side of the road if there isn’t a sidewalk: facing traffic, not with your back to it. Don’t step into traffic to go around a car unless the coast is clear. Stop jaywalking and use the crosswalk that’s ten feet away! Push the button at the stop light and wait for it to tell you to walk.

Yes, drivers can be rude. But I am so glad I don’t have to deal with driving in Albany anymore because every single day I would almost hit a pedestrian because they wouldn’t follow the above very straightforward rules! Respect and safety go both ways. The drivers need to be more careful, but so do pedestrians.

To all the drivers who complain about pedestrians, I challenge you to take one day off from driving. Walk, bike or take the bus instead. Staying in your house doesn’t count, you have to actually go somewhere and walk around. Run your errands, maybe. Stay on the sidewalks, walk on the correct side of the road, cross only in crosswalks or at traffic lights, etc. Oh, and do it in a well-trafficked area.

After you’ve spent an entire day being a pedestrian in the Capital District, then tell me if pedestrians are still the problem. Let me know how safe you feel crossing in a crosswalk, with the light, when someone fails to stop at their red light before turning right on red. Let me know how many crosswalks are blocked by cars that stopped IN them. Let me know how the timers on the crosswalks work and if they give you enough time – particularly if you’re walking with children or the elderly or carrying anything with you.

I honestly think that most drivers would be more aware of the dangers they create if they had to spend a day walking around. It may not seem so to you, but it’s often safer to jaywalk than to follow the rules simply because of the sheer number of drivers who don’t obey the laws themselves.

Hey Megan, good points ; let me add a few to them.
1) Directionals are not optional equipment on cars, they are to be used when a turn is to be made.
2) yellow lights mean “slow down” not speed up from 2 blocks away to beat the red light- which leads me to # 3
3) Red means stop. Put down the cell phone and pay attention. If nothing else an accident means your insurance rates go up.
4) I would be glad to use the crosswalk, instead of crossing the middle of the street but drivers turn the corners without regard for pedestrians who have the light in their favor. being 20 feet away from the intersection gives you more time to avoid the cars turning the corner

Jes, I lived, walked and drove in the city of Albany. Like I said, the drivers are at fault for some of it, but a LOT of it is the pedestrians. I never had a problem when I followed the rules while I was walking, and I lived in a very busy and heavily trafficked area. I routinely watched (and narrowly avoided) people who stood at stop lights while they had the right of way, and waited until the light actually turned green before they started walking (when they no longer had the right of way). They constantly walked IN the road when there were perfectly good sidewalks for them to use. When they crossed the road, they usually did it at a slow saunter, and not because of a disability or their age. Most of the time they didn’t even use the crosswalks but would just cross wherever the heck they felt like it, whether traffic was coming straight at them or not. They would stare at me until I was almost on them and THEN step out into traffic.

There were a lot of crappy drivers around there too, which added to the problem. But if people would just pay attention to their surroundings (like watch to see if a car is going to let you go or turn without looking – you may have the right of way but would you rather force the issue and end up as a pancake, or wait 10 seconds and cross when it’s safe?) then you wouldn’t be having these problems.

“like watch to see if a car is going to let you go or turn without looking – you may have the right of way but would you rather force the issue and end up as a pancake, or wait 10 seconds and cross when it’s safe?”

Drivers in the Capital District consistently blame pedestrians and this is just another example. You tell me how to be safe when I’m already in the crosswalk and someone comes out of nowhere around a corner. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head and I don’t know of any way to fix that problem.

I actually am a very legal pedestrian. I cross when I have the right of way, I use the crosswalks when they are available, I walk on the correct side of the road, and at least monthly my life is put in danger by drivers who see me as an annoyance. I live near Washington Park and near several schools and what I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how safe you keep yourself, a pedestrian cannot force drivers to abide by the laws, and the police don’t bother enforcing them.

Yeah, I’ve seen people exhibiting the behaviors you list, but I can’t fault many of them since it is dangerous to be a pedestrian in this area. It doesn’t matter how aware or alert you are, you are never safe as a pedestrian in well-trafficked areas. Right of way? Are you kidding? We have it in name only, and anyone who spends any real amount of time walking in the Capital District knows it.

It’s the drivers who create the pedestrian culture – whether they believe it or not. No one in Albany steps out into the road expecting cars to stop, like in most of New England. People in Albany step out into a street feeling like a target, no matter how legal or smart they’re being, and they feel that way because enough drivers treat them that way.

If you hit me with your car, you’ll be physically fine. I, on the other hand, will not. Drivers know this and take that to mean that pedestrians should be entirely responsible for their own safety when it’s the opposite. There is a reason that you need an operator’s license to drive a car, but not for walking down the street and a lot of it has to do with the amount of damage your car can do to me vs. the amount of damage I might do to your car.

Last month, I was watching a parade in Croton, and police were directing traffic around the parade route. A driver went to make a right turn, and the officer blew her whistle and yelled – yes, yelled – at the driver to stop. The driver didn’t understand what she did wrong, since she was making a right. The issue? There was a person in the crosswalk.

I don’t think most people realize that pedestrians have the right of way. Or they don’t care. Or it’s not enforced. But I think a lot of people got a driving lesson that day.

#10 Jes – has it right. I’ve often wanted to challenge drivers to get on a bike or try walking around the city for a day. I ride my bike frequently on all types of roadways and obey the traffic rules and still have trouble with cars all the time. This is a very non-pedestrian friendly environment that we live in in the Capital District. I also have one point in regards to pedestrians getting off of the sidewalks – this is one for the “Mayor” – try walking the city streets. I believe you will find broken, uneven pavement almost everywhere and enough dog leavings to make you sick at times. And forget about it during the winter – too many slum lords who do not clean the sidewalks. It is often preferable to be on the streets – which actually have a street-cleaner come thru from time to time.

Jes. — While I agree with a lot of your points, I think it’s rather bold to suggest drivers are solely responsible for poor pedestrian behavior.

“If you hit me with your car, you’ll be physically fine. I, on the other hand, will not. Drivers know this and take that to mean that pedestrians should be entirely responsible for their own safety when it’s the opposite.”

One could argue that pedestrians feel they can step into the street whenever they please because they know a driver won’t want to hit them. The weight of the charges and emotional damage associated with hitting a pedestrian with a vehicle are pretty heavy.

This is to the cheesecake to go curb parkers at Colonie Center. Don’t park directly in front of the crosswalk; working security there we had a few incidents where customers would walk into traffic getting hit because those curb side parkers were blocking the views of the crosswalk. Come on people be smart around crosswalks.

I agree with Jes: pedestrians are not the problem, inattentive drivers are. Pedestrians have the right-of-way every time and there are no excuses for drivers, such as our esteemed blogger here, to begrudge them for crossing a street.

I personally love when I’m navigating the rows of a parking lot and people are walking up the middle, with zero regard for the car that is halted behind them, at their mercy. I’m a careful and courteous pedestrian AND driver. I wish more were. I and my two young children were almost mowed down by a car in a grocery store parking lot b/c the driver was looking in the opposite direction as she turned into the lane.

drew – Of course drivers should pay attention and always yield to pedestrians. Nowhere in my post or comments do I suggest otherwise. I just have a hard time with blaming all drivers or all pedestrians…much like you just did.

“I can’t stand when a crosswalk is right there and yet, they cross the street wherever and whenever they feel like it.”

I feel like the above comment begrudges pedestrians for crossing the street. And as I said, pedestrians have the right-of-way everywhere. So again, I know you feel that it’s unfortunate but you have to really drive defensively.

Drew.. I have to disagree.. Pedestrains to not have the right of way ALL the time. Only at designated cross walks as dictated by NYS Motor Vehicle law. Those that cross in unmarked areas are at fault and are J-walking. Drivers have been conditioned to feel its their fault because of the emotional toll (not to mention potential law suits) for not stopping. Drivers should pay attention, and pedestrians as well. The real word here is courteous.

“…like I’ve said before, I love stopping for pedestrians. I don’t care if they still have a couple feet before they reach the crosswalk and people behind me are honking”

I think saying pedestrians have the right-of-way, no matter where they cross, is encouraging a false sense of safety. Not everyone is a safe driver, so exclaiming, “I had the right-of-way!” doesn’t mean much if you’re not alive to say it.

But Amanda, it’s not the pedestrians that are at the head of thousands of pounds of machinery. It’s the driver’s responsibility when they get behind the wheel to drive correctly and defensively. If we all were better drivers we wouldn’t need to have our head on a swivel every time we walk downtown.

drew — I absolutely agree drivers have more responsibilities than pedestrians but are not responsible for pedestrians, to a point. Every single person is responsible for their own safety. A pedestrian should always be just as aware and alert when in an area heavily populated by cars.

Drew, drivers have a responsibility to be safe. Does that mean pedestrians have free reign to be completely reckless? I don’t think so. And your argument about them having right of way all the time was just shredded (I think quite well) by cfoote. If pedestrians would watch where they were going instead of stepping out whenever and wherever they feel like it (in front of a bus perhaps, or a car that doesn’t have time to react), and drivers would be more courteous (by letting those in the crosswalk cross first), then maybe things would be different.

It’s give and take. You can’t completely excuse the pedestrians for what is clearly their bad behavior just because they aren’t driving a car.

Pedestrians have the right of way. That doesn’t absolve them of responsibility to be as safe as possible.
If you are dumb enough to try and cross the street (crosswalk or anywhere else) before traffic stops, then you deserve what you get.

Drivers are not responsible for idiots jumping out in front of them. They may be sited as a matter of procedure but they will likely not be found at fault.

As a former NYC resident, I too walk a lot, not just in Albany, but in Clifton Park. I have to say, that I make it a point to pay close attention when I’m driving to yield to pedestrians. But I find more fault with drivers. I see drivers in Albany ignore pedestrians (in the cross walks) on Pearl Street.

Recently, I was walking my guide dog on Moe Road in Clifton Park and the two of us almost got hit by someone making a left turn onto Moe. Hello? Did she not see us? Did she not care? Does she not know WE have the right of way?

Last week, a woman failed to stop at the Stop Sign outside Kohls in CP, and if I had not waited she would’ve totally wrecked my car since she didn’t even slow down. She blew through the sign at full speed even though I was about to make a left into her lane.

As far as pedestrians, I can’t stand when they walk in the suburban streets against the flow of traffic, and I walk my dogs with the traffic and they refuse to walk around me.

Ultimately, I think people in general aren’t paying any attention to the world around them. I think drivers are worse offenders, and more dangerous.

I see too many pedestrians in the road walking three and four abreast, causing drivers to have to veer into the oncoming lane. I see parents failing to control their children, allowing them to walk right into traffic and expecting drivers to see them. I see lots of pedestrians walking with traffic rather than facing it, wearing headphones and dark clothing at night and expecting drivers to somehow see them in bad conditions.

I am a very courteous pedestrian and am aware of my surroundings. I too have almost been run over by dingbats on their cell phones in Clifton Park who are shocked to see pedestrians. Still, I find that careless pedestrians cause more problems than drivers do. I think the general attitude is, “Hey, if I get hit by a car, I’ll just sue!”

What really scares me is that a lot of parents let their children believe this. I had to explain this to a group of kids who purposely rode their bikes behind my car as soon as I started backing up. One of them flat out asked me, “But if I get hit, don’t I get money?” I was very quick to disabuse him of that notion.

Kudos to Emily Lee. Pedestrians are not, and never will be, the problem in any city. No municipal government wants less foot traffic and more vehicular traffic. Also, no pedestrian has ever run down a motorist.

I drive through the city of Albany 5 days a week. I know how crazy the drivers can be; but, I also know that on many occassions I have come close to being rear-ended in an intersection because the pedestrians who think they have the right-of-way do not. What no-one seems to be addressing are the Walk/Don’t Walk signals directing the pedestrians at many crosswalks. Just because you are at a crosswalk does not mean you have the right-of-way. You also need to have the WALK signal. If it says Don’t Walk – then DON’T WALK – or don’t wave your fist at the person who really does have the right of way. Maybe the person following the green arrow on the traffic light saying that they do have the right of way to make that left turn. Just sayin’

I rode the bus and walked the streets of rensselaer and downtown albany for 2 years due to losing my license. I now drive a car again.
The lesson I learned? People are stupid.

People in albany have a lack of respect for themselves I guess and for drivers. I used to watch people walk in front of cars coming at them doing 40, just because there idiots who think they run the streets.

I’m not picking any sides but, pedestrians in albany who get as physically close to your car as possible without you hitting them to run across a busy intersection are just asking to get it.

I use turn signals, and I pay very close attention to people trying to cross, but anyone who has lived in alb, or driven daily in albany knows that the people around here are just plain careless and foolish when it comes to crossing a road.
Don’t even get me started on double parking, bike riders, or teenagers…

We have to face the fact that societies change, not always for the better but nonetheless change. As pedestrians we have to accept that we are going the way of the horse drawn buggy. We are living in a car world and people’s driving behaviors are not conditioned to anticipate pedestrians, especially in the suburbs where most of the drivers in downtown Albany live. So enough with the pedestrian right-of-way arrogance, it is wiser to think safety first than to test your body’s ability to absorb the impact of a car; even a sub-compact is going to hurt you more than you think and there isn’t a guaranteed payday at the other end. I always err on the side of safety than to think that I’m going to change the behaviors of others; not that I won’t swear at them as I do so!

crosswalks do not have to be ‘marked’ to be present and vehicles have to yield the right of way at unmarked crosswalks at intersections. This doesn’t mean the pedestrian can/should cross wherever or whenever they like. I just don’t want people thinking that if the white lines aren’t there, a crosswalk doesn’t exist.

(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway.

I’ll be honest — I find it somewhat confusing, so when I’m a driver…I’ll just stop for pedestrians, every.single.time — ’cause they’re walking and I’m not. When I’m a pedestrian, I’ll be extra careful and hope drivers are, too.

THe first paragraph talks about mid-block locations. I was only referring to intersections.

The second paragraph says pedestrians have the right of way when in marked or unmarked (at intersections). Any “other” location, the pedestrian must yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway

Blogs postings like this help perpetuate poor attitudes towards pedestrians and reduce pedestrian safety. Our car culture is not a good thing. Yes, there are a lot of pedestrians in the Pearl St. area but that is because it is a downtown, there should be a lot of pedestrians there, and the increased number of pedestrians actually makes it safer.

Please slow down for pedestrians. As many commenters pointed out, a car is thousands of pounds of steel and can severely mame or kill a person. Have we digressed so much that our attitude is really “kill or be killed?”

@50 – perpetuating poor attitudes, in turn, reduces pedestrian safety because people continue to have the attitude that since they are in a car, they are better or demand the right of the road. So no, not that big of a stretch.

@Amanda – the post title alone “Pedestrians are annoying” is inherently anti-pedestrian and I think you should read the comments a bit closer. People are suggesting pedestrians are stupid and deserve to be “nudged” if they don’t walk fast enough or God-forbid force them to slow down so a pedestrian can across the road. Perhaps if more people walked and understood the plight of a pedestrian we’d all be a bit more courteous. This report came out just yesterday: “Dangerous by Design” http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/ and there’s an interactive map that lets you view pedestrian deaths in your area. If people see how many pedestrians die from being hit by vehicles maybe they’d change their tune: http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/map/

I would respectfully ask you to read the post a little closer, especially the second and sixth paragraphs. And, sure, some of the comments seem to be totally against pedestrians, but I think those comments are directed toward pedestrians who don’t make wise, safe choices and/or follow the law. Some comments are solely against drivers, for the same exact reasons. I don’t think anyone is right or wrong in this case, and I think everyone can agree people, whether pedestrian or driver, just need to be more alert, respectful and careful.

I was recently crossing Western Avenue at Daytona and 3 cars turned onto Western off of Daytona and nearly hit me as I was crossing (in the crosswalk and the Albany police were sitting right across the street in the HSBC parking lot facing towards Daytona. Do you think he went after any of those cars? Nope. He turned and went the in the other direction.